How You Can Impress The Business Owner During A Job Interview

Tell me more about yourself? This is a challenging question for many, especially when you're?trying to impress?a business owner during a job interview. What to say, or not to say? How much detail is too much detail? What answer are they looking for?

You need to have a good idea of what to say to a person?during an interview?so their?attention is on you.?This person must remember you long after the conversation is over. So, you need to make an impression that will stay with them even after interviewing your competition.??

How A Business Owner Can Perceive You During A Job Interview

As you sit?across from?this person?you want to impress,?listening to thoughts in your head?of what to say will have you missing out on the nuances of the conversation. Then instead of adding to the conversation you end up detracting from it. The responses you end up giving maybe agreeable, general and vague, and not contributing much at all.?

By being quiet or reserved you may come across as hiding something, or uncertain, or indecisive, or uninterested. This?body language can have the other person wondering if they can trust you, or question?your commitment to the company. At worst,?you come across as distracted, rude, and disrespectful... or a waste of their time.

If the interview?abruptly ended?with the business owner saying, "thank you, we have enough," or they conclude that you must be busy, or that you seem preoccupied, then that's a sign you were more in your thoughts than in the conversation.

This is what you don't want to be remembered for by those you want to make an impression upon. Because as soon as they leave that conversation you'll be forgotten.

You?want to be noticed and remembered!

How?Can You Help The Interviewer?Remember You?

If your comments are general or vague, you give nothing for the other person to latch onto. You've blended in with the masses, and anything?they hear?during your?job interview is uneventful?and forgettable. Nothing is sparking the imagination. As soon as you leave the conversation the other person is left with nothing, and you easily slip from their mind.

The first step in creating a connection is for the other person to get to know you. If you come across as nondescript you'll be placed in the pile with rest of the maybes.?

But how do you stay?top of?mind well after the conversation? To stand out in the crowd of candidates??How do you be remembered after the interview?

By being specific and engaging.

Here are 5 Things You can do to Get Noticed and Remembered by the Employer

1. Put yourself under a microscope. Just as you did in biology class, you looked at specimens under a microscope, and discovered a lot of cool things that you didn't see with your?basic 20/20 vision. If you were to do this with your life, what cool things would be illuminated? You might come up with some interesting and fun details to have top of mind when having that conversation. Don't be the judge of whether these are interesting or not. Let the other person decide.
2. Share something specific about YOU. If you're trying to impress someone, don't tell them something you found out about them on social media. They already know about that... or maybe want to forget it. Talk about something specific about you that relates to your conversation. This will give them the opportunity to connect with you on a more?engaging?level. If they're intrigued, they'll ask for more info or contribute details about their experience.
3. Provide a snapshot of your life. Leave them with some interesting details, but not the whole story. You might sometimes go overboard with the details, and when you don't leave anything to the imagination—you lose their interest. It's like when someone tells you?all about?the movie, including the ending—you don't need to go see it. When there's voids in the story, the audience has a desire to fill in the blanks, and will?be curious enough to ask more questions. Be visual, not long-winded.??
4. Make them feel like the most important person in the room.?Maya Angelo?once said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them?feel.” One way to do this is by listening?intently.?Most people?are horrible listeners, and if your focus, during the conversation, is on that person, and you engage with them effectively, they'll respect you and remember you. The key is to assume that every word they say is important.
5. Mix the facts in with a story. Facts are boring and forgettable, unless they have a story around them. If you want the other person to remember an important detail about you, make it more attractive by wrapping it in a story. If the other person can?see?what you mean, that will stay in their mind longer than telling them the mere facts or statistics. Learn to be a good short story teller.?

By providing a clearer picture of who you are, the?interviewer will be able to relate to you on a?more vivid?level. People have this?desire?to connect, and if you provide them with bits of memorable information, you'll be on their mind long after you meet.?

Please leave a comment or share this with others who would find it useful.?

Christine Hourd, ACC is a Certified Professional Success and Leadership Coach,?located in Calgary, Alberta. She works online and in person with people who want to be more engaging and successful in their job interviews.?Contact Christine to find out?how Accountability Coaching can help you make progress in your goals.?

This article was originally published on the Success Model Success and Leadership Blog

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